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Four Ways To Be “One” With Our White Squirrels
You don’t have to spend much time in Brevard before you catch sight of the four paws and fluffy white tail of Transylvania County’s most beloved local mascot, the white squirrel. From shops on Main Street with countless souvenirs to the official White Squirrel Institute to the actual critters themselves, scampering across lawns and into the tree branches surrounding Brevard, white squirrels are everywhere.
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LEARN THEIR HISTORY
The story of how white squirrels came to reside in Transylvania County has a whiff of legend about it. A longstanding theory has it that a carnival animal truck in Florida overturned in the 1940s, “freeing” a pair of white squirrels. The squirrels were corralled by a gentleman who gifted them to a friend in Brevard who in turn gave them to his niece. Over time, one of the squirrels escaped and the other was set free. The rest is (extremely cute) history.
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ADOPT A WHITE SQUIRREL
Brevard’s white squirrels are not albinos, in fact, they’re actually a color variation within the same species as the common gray squirrel. The White Squirrel Institute supports programs that keep track of the local population with an annual count, as well as rescue and rehabilitation. Their popular Adopt-A-Squirrel Program allows humans to support their cause with a donation.
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MEET A CELEBRITY WHITE SQUIRREL
Pisgah Penny, a rescue squirrel turned local celebrity, sometimes puts in an appearance at Brevard events. Notably, she takes center stage at White Squirrel Day, Transylvania County’s own spin on Groundhog Day, where she makes predictions about the coming spring and the winner of the Super Bowl.
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